Traction-wheel.



3 BHEETB-SHEET 1.

Patented Sept. 17, 1912;

Si Ml .TRAOTION WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6, 1910.

Patented Sept. 17,-1912.

a sums-sum 2.

I fiamae/eWfiu/er' j 'v OM SAMUEL M. BQWER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRACTION-WHEEL.

Specification of Batters Patent. Patented Sept. 17, 11912.

Application filed September 6, 1910. Serial No. 580,744.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL M. Bowen, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in TractionlVl1eels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in traction. wheels and in some of its features more particularly to traction wheels wherein an annular rim carries in rotation a series of anterior rocking feet, associated with rocking bridge-members, interposed between the feet and feet.

@ne of the objects of my'present invention is to provide a construction by which the possibility of emplacing a foot upon the supporting surface in a tilting position .is

practically. obviated, and other objects of the invention, relating to the improvement of such traction-wheels, in general and in specific construction, will becomaapparent to those skilled in the art from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan projection with parts broken away of a peripheral fragment of a wheel embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse section on Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a fragment of a. wheel; and Fig. 4c is an enlarged section on line H of Fig. l.

in the construction of the specific wheel shown in the drawings, I employ a rim, structure 10 comprising two parallel annuh,

or rings, l1--l.l, preferably relatively broad and fiat, spaced apart and interconnected by cross bars, 12, said rim members havin' connected therewith the spokes l3, radiating from a suitable hub, not shown. The feet, 15, of joint length approximately coinciding with the rim periphery, are disposed exteriorly upon the rim and are connected therewith by means to'be described, to be carried in rotation by the rim. Each foot 15 preferably provides a fiat base, l6, having transverse cleats, 17, on its under or tread surface, the upper surface of the base being provided with upwardly projecting guide posts, 18-18, arranged two on each side of the longitudinal median line, to lie just inside of the respective annuli 11-1l, and said guides merging into reinforcing webs, 19 and 19, respectively, extending longitudinail-y and trp nsversely of the foot. Each foot rim to span the joint of adjacent line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

substantially without fri is also preferably provided on its top surface with edge flan cs, 20, and in appropriate position, contra y of the length of the foot, and flanking, or outside of, the contiguous guides 18, are provided a pair of locking lugs, 21. Adjacent the front and rear edges of each foot are also provided pairs of thrust lugs, longitudinally, or peripherally of the wheel, with the lugs 21, these lugs serving to cooperate with the bridge structures in a manner to be described. No direct we1ght-imposing bearing is effected by the rim upon the "est, in the preferred construction there being constantly interposed between the peripheral surface of the. rim and the adjacent weight-carrying feet, bridge structures generally indicated at 25 and 25. Each bridge, 25 or 25, is of a length greater than the peripheral extent of shown,

22 and 22', respectively, alining a foot, so as to span between two adjacent feet from gitudinal posed in pairs correspondingly positioned on opposite sides of the wheel beneath the appropriate rim" annuli. The bridges are, ofcourse, arranged so thatztheir ends overlap longitudinally, the outer bridges 25 being disposed to pass outside of'the center lugs, 21, of the feet, and bridges 25 arranged to pass inside of said lugs, or between said lugs-and the longitudinal axis of the foot.. Each bridge has, between it and the adjacent overlapping bridges, offsets or looking projections 26, to interlock with the [appropriate foot lugs21 and 22 or 22'; the

lug 21 being of generally triangular shape with its sloping ends concaved, and the coacting end of each offset 26 being corrospondingly shaped so that under the opera tion of the wheel to be described, the offset end of the bridge may be brought into its locking position smoothly and wlthout need less friction It will be obvious that when a bridge member is positioned flat upon the upper surfaces of two feet,\emplaced horizontally end to end as shown in Fig. 3, its two ends are so interlocked with the feet that traction strain imparted to the bridges may .be imparted thereby to the feet,.and yet that the bridges may motions approaching or receding from position to interlock the emplaced feet (as shown at the ends of Fig. 3) smoothly and ction.

points oppositely beyond the lonj centers thereof; said bridges dis effect their individual rocking necting means for each bridge a link at one,

end pivoted to the rim and at its opposite end pivoted to the bridge, each such link having an efifectiye length between the pivot m centers fequal to the length of a foot and having its pivot centers coinciding infrelotion to tl'IB'I'iIiI with the centers of the respective feet overlain by the bridge to which the link is attached. Thus in the spe- 415 cific' construction shown I provide upon one extremity of each outer bridge, 25, a hearing bracket, 28, carrying-a pivot 29 to which is connected one extremity of a link 30, the opposite end of which is secured by a pivot 29 31 to a bracket structure 32 straddling the overlying annulus in alinement with a foot center and providing upon. the inner side of the rim a pivot-receiving car, 32. Such connections for all of the outer bridge incinbers 25 are identical throughout the wheel and the inner bridge members 25 have connections which are identical. in operating effect with those described, although the specific constructions of the links and their connection is difierent from that described to accommodate the mounting of the links between the rim annuli. Thus, I mount in the cars, 32', of opposing brackets 32, a pivot pin 31, to which is connected the extremity of a link 30, formed of two connected pieces to form bifurcated ends for wide bearings, the remote extremity of said link being connected to pivot 29 spanning between attaching brackets 28 upon- 40 opposite inner bridges 25'. 7 Thus, there occurs a pair of pivot brackets32 opposite the center 'of every second foot, and pairs of links for two pairs of bridges diverge from such brackets 'for connection with their respective bridges at their remote extremities, the free overlapping extremities of said bridges lying radially beyond said brackets.

For connection of the feet to the rim, loose articulation to permit some radial displacement of the feet relative to the rim and to permit the rocking. movements of the-feet relative to the rim is requisite, and may be provided for in many ways. The specific construction which 1" herein show employs upon each foot a transverse cleat 35, secured to the'foot at its longitudinal center, the cleat having reduced extremities 35, each partially encompassed by an open 80 loop 36, the. opposite end of said loop en circling a suitable transverse bar'or pin anchored to the rim. With respect to those alternate feet corresponding with the brackets 32 the loops '36 may be made to encircle the prvotbars, 31, which are anchored in have specifica the brackets 32, and for the intermediate feet, cross bars 37 may be secured to the rim and the loops 36 extended suiiiciently to encompass them, as obviously the pivot bars 29. move with the bridge end and are not anchored to the rim.

In the operation of the wheel, it will be apparent that the feet are carried in rotation by the rim through the loose articulating connections described, and that the feet will be successively emplaced upon the ground, either two or three feet always contacting with the ound and aiiording a large bearing sur ace to the wheel. The wheel rim rolls upon the bridges, which in turn receive support. upon the feet, each bridge when emplaced upon two feet inter locking therewith so that traction strain may be transmitted through the bridge to the feet, traction strain being imparted to the bridges through the link connections with therim. it will be observed that if, as a foot approaches the ground, its forward end meets with an obstruction, tending to cause uptilting of the bee of the foot, so that the heel oirthe foot would,i the tilting were permitteddig into the ground, such tilting is prevented by that bridge which spans from the previousl emplaced foot to the loot approaching t e ground, such bridge interposed between the emplaced foot and the rim acting under the weight of the rim to exert a pressure upon the remote end of the adjoining foot which is descending to operative position. This. feature of or invention among others, I regard as move and important, insuring the proper emplacement of each foot without limiting the flexibility ofthe articulation ofthe feet, and also providing for a highly effective distribution oi the weight between feet.

While for urposes of full disclosure 1 lly described a particular 8111- bodiment of my invention sonie of the details of'which I ma claim for their par ticular advantages, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that my invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific construction shownand that many changes may be made in the embodiment withoutdeparture from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. in a traction wheel, the combination of a rim, feet independently mounted on the rim for rocking movement, and means for positively preventing tilting of each foot when approaching the ground comprising a bridge member between the foot and rim, one end of said brid e overlying the foot in l'ront of its point 0 connection to the rim and the other end overlying the foot next in rear thereof, whereby some of the pressure of the rim is transmitted through saidbridgc to. the forward end of each foot as it approaches the ground positively to prevent igging of its rear edge into the ground as it descends.

2. In a traction wheel, the combination of a rim, feet each connected .to the rim for rocking movement, a bridge between the rim and each pair offeet throughout the wheel, the end of each bridge overlapping the end of adjoining bridges to extend beyond; the points of connection of the feet to the run, means of connection of each bridge to the rim to leave both ends thereof free for radial movement.

'3. In a traction wheel the combination of a rim, comprising separated annuli, feet carried by the rim extending across the annuli,

bridges; arranged in alternating, overlapping, inner and outer pairs, a link member between each inner pair of bridges and the rim within the annuli, and a link between each outer bridge and the rim.

4. In a traction wheel the'combination of a rim, feet carried thereby, a lug adjacent the front and rear edge of each foot, a bridge extending between the rear lug of each foot to the front. lug of the foot next in front thereof, and a link connecting each bridge to the rim.

5. In a traction wheel the combination oflinks pivoted between said cleats and outer bridges. I

6. In a traction wheel, the combination of a rim comprising separated annuli, feet exteriorly carried, by the rim extendingacross 'said annuli, bridges arranged in;pa1rs between the annuli and the feet, each bridge spannin' the joint of two adjacent feet, and the 'bri ges successively overlapping, and

swirl 'ng links connecting the bridges with.

the rim, the links for each outer bridge-pair flanking the annuli, and the links for each inner bridge-pair lying between the annuli.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL M. BOWER.

In the presence of W. LINN ALLEN, MARY F. ALLEN.

Gopies of thit patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 'of Patents,

- Washington, D. G. 

